The biosynthesis of penicillin. 6. A study of the mechanism of the formation of the thiazolidine-beta-lactam rings, using tritium-labelled cystine

The stereochemistry of beta-lactam formation in penicillin biosynthesis

1. (2R,3S)-[U-14C,3-3H1]- and (2R,3R)-[U-14C,2,3-3H2] Cysteine hydrochlorides have been separately synthesised. The latter compound has been shown to have uniform distributions of tritium between C-2 and C-3. 2. The abvoe cysteines and (2R)-[U-14C,3,3,3',3'-3H4]cystine have been converted to samples of penicillin G by Penicillium chrysogenum. 3. Incorporation results indicate that all but 14% of the tritium is lost from the (2R,3S)-[3-3H1]isomer; that 42% of tritium is retained by the non-stereospecifically C-3 tritiated cystine; and that 58% of tritium is retained by the (2R,3R)-[2,3-3H2]isomer on conversion to penicillin G. 4. Degradation of the penicillin G derived from (2R,3R)-[U-14C,2,3-3H2]cysteine hydrochloride has indicated that in fact about 87% of the original C-3 tritium of cysteine is retained at C-5 of penicillin G. 5. The results indicate stereospecificity in the cyclisation giving rise to the beta-lactam ring in penicillin G in nature with loss of the 3-pro-S-hydrogen and rentention of the 3-pro-R-hydrogen of cysteine. Thus there is net retention of stereochemistry in the cyclisation.

Deoxyribonucleic acid-induced anomalous optical rotatory dispersion of antimalarial drugs and dyes

l-[3,3′-³H]cystine was incorporated into penicillin with retention of one tritium. This result can be explained by β-lactam formation through ring closure between C3 of cysteine and NH of valine. No radioactivity of dl-[2,3-³H]valine was incorporated into penicillin. The loss of isotope at C2 occurs during the inversion of configuration. The loss of label at C3 is discussed in terms of possible intermediates for the formation of the thiazolidine ring of penicillin.

Incorporation of labeled precursors into A16886B, a novel -lactam antibiotic produced by Streptomyces clavuligerus

The incorporation of C-14 from amino acids into A16886B, 7-(5-amino-5-carboxyvaleramido)-7-methoxy-3-carbamoyloxymethyl-3-cephem-4- carboxylic acid, by Streptomyces clavuligerus is reported. As with cephalosporin C biosynthesis by the mold Cephalosporium acremonium, labels from cysteine, valine, and alpha-amino-adipic acid were incorporated. Unlike cephalosporin C, in A16886B label from lysine was incorporated into the alpha-aminoadipic acid side chain. Label from methionine-(14)C-methyl was incorporated into the methoxyl group. The relative percentage of incorporation of (3)H and (14)C from doubly labeled cystine suggests the improbability of the C-7 methoxyl group arising from an intermediate containing a double bond between C-6 and C-7.

Biosynthesis of peptides containing -aminoadipic acid and cysteine in extracts of a Cephalosporium sp

1. Three intracellular peptides found in small amount in a Cephalosporium sp. were rapidly labelled when dl-[(14)C]valine was added to a shaken suspension of the organism. More (14)C was incorporated into peptide P3, delta-(l-alpha-aminoadipyl)-l-cysteinyl-d-valine, than into peptide P2 (containing alpha-aminoadipic acid, cysteine, valine and glycine) or peptide P1 (containing beta-hydroxyvaline in place of the valine in peptide P2). 2. Peptides P3 and P2, but not peptide P1 were formed in a broken-cell system from the Cephalosporium sp. in the presence of delta-(l-alpha-aminoadipyl)-l-cysteine and dl-[(14)C]valine. No synthesis was observed in the presence of delta-(d-alpha-aminoadipyl)-l-cysteine or of dl-alpha-amino[(14)C]adipic acid and l-cysteinyl-l-valine or l-cysteinyl-d-valine. 3. The biosynthesis of these peptides was catalysed by the particulate fraction of the broken-cell system, whereas that of glutathione was catalysed by the supernatant fraction. 4. These results are discussed in relation to penicillin N and cephalosporin C biosynthesis.